Tilly Kettle | Portrait of a Hindu in Moghul Court Dress

Tilly Kettle is considered the first British portrait painter of consequence to work in India, and between 1769 and 1776 painted a series of defining portraits of princely rulers and East India Company officials based in and around Madras and Calcutta. This extremely rare portrait of a Hindu courtier is an opulent example of the type of formal portraiture that became popular in the Indian sub-continent following the expansion of the British empire.
Tilly Kettle
Portrait of a Hindu in Moghul Court Dress, possibly a Maratha Brahmin from the Deccan, c. 1769-76
Oil on canvas
Filmed by Mike Hopkins (@mikehopkinsfilm)

[@soloauditor]

The first thing I noticed was the daggers handle. This means: it is for use and not just for decoration- display. He is a warier. It is a marvelous work not just because how the artist painted the material and the jewelry: so realistic. The artist really captured the very soul of this young man. The portrait itself is nothing more than flat canvas -painted over yet it is alive! One of the best I ever seen. [ don't mind the grammar]

[@CFinch360]

It's so engaging when Phillip explains art in such a passionate way.

[@murkyseb]

That was very interesting, I’d love to see longer videos

[@christianfrommuslim]

Thank you for bringing attention to Tilly Kettle! I have admired him for decades.
Some paintings attributed to him are not up to the standard of his Indian work. However, I know of a privately owned portrait with excellent provenance for Kettle, which shows the exquisite qualities evidenced in this painting, and typical of the better-known 18th century masters.

[@marquamfurniture]

The shimmering garb is spectacular.

[@tomjoelberglind1924]

Nobody present a painting better than Phillip👏🏻🇳🇴

[@SAOS451316]

You can tell that this artist loved to paint. The materials are rendered gorgeously and the light plays around them. The meticulous details show skill but the asymmetrical face shows that this is meant as a portrait of a real person instead of the more common allegory or stereotype. This is a truly good painting and should be better known.
Also thank you for your having proper subtitles; it's appreciated.

[@MikeNewland]

There was a portrait by him on display in the window of a dealer in Jermyn Street west end a few days ago.

[@sarbanibhaduri5099]

Philip he could still be a prince or a maharajah, the Mughal dress was common to both muslim and Hindu

[@dorothysmith7289]

Philip, thank you for securing this portrait for us. It is indeed one of a kind. I noticed the teeth right away as the artist and his subject agreeing to do an authentic, not stylized portrait. 😊

[@KingAfendiGodAfendi-oq9my]

This canvas paint is called sniper laser pointer on the forehead 🤪😋😜😝😛

[@sarbanibhaduri5099]

All subjects in India were indigenous I think? thats a bit odd, but love these art lectures

[@sarbanibhaduri5099]

Indigenous might not be the best word, but just an Indian from that time period